Zach Eflin and Walker Weickel both taken by San Diego Padres in MLB draft

11:52 p.m. EST, June 4, 2012|By Austin Lyon, Orlando Sentinel

Central Florida pitching standouts Zach Eflin and Walker Weickel waited more than three and a half hours for their names to be called Monday night.

When the moments finally arrived, both were selected by a team nearly 2,500 miles away.

Eflin was selected No. 33 overall while Weickel went No. 55 to the San Diego Padres.

"I just found out about five seconds before they picked me," Eflin said. "I'm super excited. I've never felt this way before."

According to Baseball America, Eflin is slotted to earn a signing bonus of $1.52 million and indicated he would sign with the Padres.

The 6-5, 200-pound pitcher was 5-2 with a 0.51 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 41 innings this season for Hagerty. Eflin had signed with UCF and hoped to be drafted by a team close to home, but San Diego is nearly 2,500 miles away from Oviedo.

"We're going to make it work," Eflin said. "This is so awesome."

Weickel, who went 12-1 with a 1.37 ERA this season, was selected six picks after Olympia teammate Jesse Winker. Winker, an outfielder who hit .480 for the Titans, went 49th to Cincinnati.

Former West Orange and current UF shortstop Nolan Fontana, Miami catcher Peter O'Brien and UF's Austin Maddox are among the other top remaining Central Florida high-school and state prospects.

The three-day, 40-round event will continue Tuesday at noon with the second through 15th rounds.

Florida Gators junior catcher Mike Zunino was taken No. 3 overall by the Seattle Mariners, becoming the highest University of Florida player ever selected. John Burke went sixth overall in 1991 to the Houston Astros, but he did not sign.

UF left handed pitcher Brian Johnson went to Boston with the final pick of the first round, marking the first time since 1983 that two Gators got selected in the first round.

Zunino, an All-America catcher, currently ranks second on the team with a .316 batting average and is leading the Gators with 27 doubles, 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. He was selected the 2011 SEC Player of the Year and is a finalist for several major awards this season, including the Golden Spikes and Johnny Bench awards.

"I'm just extremely honored. I got a call maybe 15, 20 minutes before draft (from Mariners officials) and I was extremely ecstatic when I heard my name called by the commissioner," Zunino said.

Ramsey, who was taken in the 22nd round last year, is hitting .385 with 13 home runs for the Seminoles. He was taken earlier than many experts projected.

"I am not going to be the 6'5", 220 pound guy, but I am a winner and that's the kind of guy I hope they want in their organization," Ramsey said.

Sentinel reporters Coley Harvey and Rachel George contributed to this report.